Texarkana Independent School District Names the 2019 Distinguished Alumni
/Dr. Daniel W. Barnette (Texas High School Class of 1971) and C. Cary Patterson (Texas High School Class of 1970) were recently named the 2019 Distinguished Alumni for TISD. On April 22, two events were held in their honor: a Student Leadership Breakfast at the Dan Haskins Student Center at Texas High School, and a Distinguished Alumni Luncheon at Northridge Country Club.
Following graduation from Texas High School in 1971, Dr. Daniel Barnette received his Associate in Arts from Texarkana College in 1973. He continued his education at The University of Texas at Austin earning a Bachelor of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1976 and a Master of Science in Aerospace Engineering in 1977. Barnette was awarded his Doctor of Philosophy (PhD) in Aeronautics/Astronautics in 1984 from Stanford University with a dissertation on innovative solution algorithms for the finite-differenced parabolized Navier-Stokes equations used in supersonic flow computer modeling. His professional career began with Sandia National Laboratories in Albuquerque, New Mexico, in 1977 as a member of the Aeroballistics Division. During this time, Barnette helped conduct and analyze wind tunnel tests while also working with 6-degree of freedom computer codes for various nuclear weapon aerodynamic configurations. Following a short break to complete his Ph.D. at Stanford University, he returned to Sandia in the fall of 1983 to continue his work with the Aeroballistics Division. In 1993, Barnette joined the Parallel
Computational Sciences Department of Sandia Laboratories.
Following his retirement from Sandia in 2014, Barnette served as an Associate Professor with the Mechanical Engineering Department for LeTourneau University until 2018. Barnette lives in Veguita, New Mexico, with his wife, Shelly.
They have three sons: Travis, Trevor and Taylor.
Cary Patterson graduated from Texas High School in 1970. He earned his Bachelor of Business Administration from The University of Texas at Austin in 1973 and his Juris Doctorate from St. Mary’s University of San Antonio in 1975. Patterson began his legal career defending product liability and negligence cases in East Texas and Southwest
Arkansas.
In 1986, he partnered with Harold Nix and began representing plaintiffs in important product liability, toxic tort and other complex civil cases. For the last 33 years, Patterson has been instrumental in the firm’s success and in leading Nix Patterson to the forefront of some of the most high-profile litigation in the country. Under his leadership, the law firm has amassed an impressive list of significant recoveries for a wide-range of clients in
diverse practice areas.
Patterson is licensed to practice in Texas, Arkansas and Oklahoma as well as the U.S. District Court - Western District of Arkansas and the U.S. District Court - Eastern District of Texas. Likewise, he is admitted to practice in the Fifth and Eighth Circuit Federal Court of Appeals. Patterson served on the Executive Board of Texas Trial Lawyers Association for six years including serving as a Director and Associate Director. He is currently a member of the Bowie County, Morris County, Northeast Texas and the American Bar Associations, the State Board of Texas, the East Texas Trial Lawyers Association, the Texas Trial Lawyers Association and the Association of Trial Lawyers of America. Patterson and his wife, Lois, have two sons, Ty and Chad, and seven grandchildren.
